As a person who works in downtown Minneapolis, I welcomed the new food trucks and carts that hit the streets and sidewalks last summer. I ate everything from lobster rolls to bahn mi sandwiches. To me, there’s nothing more civilized or urbane than sitting on a park bench or parking barrier, gobbling down a taco in your work clothes on a sunny day.

Today, a Minneapolis City Council committee approved changes to the current street food ordinance that will allow food trucks in other parts of the city. This summer, you may see trucks in other areas that get a lot of foot traffic: the lakes and parks, the Midtown Greenway, Uptown and the Cedar Riverside area, just to name a few. The full council will vote on the measure a week from Friday.

One of the other changes will also allow food trucks to park on a street and plug the parking meter, provided it’s not too close to a brick and mortar restaurant.

However, there’s one last change street food fans are still waiting for. Food carts and trucks are not allowed to operate late at night, after bar closing.

About the blogger

Brandt Williams is a reporter with MPR News’ Metro Unit. At MPR, Brandt has extensively covered city government, public safety and courts; race and justice; and livability issues in the city of Minneapolis. Brandt grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Speech Communications in 1991.